The contemplation is inspired by the gospel reading for this week, Luke 18, the healing of the blind man from Jericho.

Once upon a time, not so long ago, there was a pilgrim who was traveling to a Holy Mountain in Greece and he came across an old hermit and asked him, “Father, how can I learn to see truth, to see God?” The venerated holy man replied, “Every day at dusk go to the cemetery and for an hour hurl insults to the dead. Do that for a month and pay attention to everything that happens around you. Then come and report to me.” After a month the pilgrim returned. “Father, I have done what you told me but nothing happened!” The hermit then said, “Go to the cemetery again for another month and sing praises to the dead. Then come and tell me what happened.” After a month the pilgrim returned. “Father, I did what you told me but nothing happened!” The holy father then said, “My son, if you wish to behold truth, be like those who have crossed the threshold, indifferent to insults and indifferent to praise”

Like this pilgrim, each one of us is also on a holy journey. We are all called to learn to truly see. For like the blind man from Jericho in our gospel reading today, we are all blind and in need of new eyes.

May we follow the wisdom of this holy saint and the blind man from Jericho by practicing letting go again and again of what others think about us, letting go again and again of what we think about others, of what we think about ourselves, and cry out to Him who streams out from the altar, Oh Christ, have compassion on me!

For it is only by overcoming egotism that we truly see, only in His selfless love are our eyes made new.